Chapter 7
"You're making a mistake!" Brielle shrieked, scrambling backward on the cushions until her spine hit the woven backrest of the loveseat. "Your enemies are waiting for you to show weakness! If you break our alliance, the Moretti family will move on your southern ports tonight!"
"Let them move," Damon replied, his voice a low, vibrating hum of absolute confidence. "I will drown them in the harbor. Just as I am drowning you."
He reached out, his tattooed hand moving slowly but with undeniable purpose. He grabbed Brielle by the wrist, his grip iron-clad, and yanked her left arm forward.
"No! Stop!" Brielle yelled, thrashing wildly.
Damon ignored her struggles entirely. With a single, forceful pull, he stripped the heavy diamond engagement ring from her finger. The friction scraped her fair skin, but he offered no apology. He held the massive, glittering stone up in the bright sunlight for a moment, then casually tossed it over his shoulder. The ring vanished into the thick, green hedges bordering the pavilion.
"The engagement is broken," Damon stated, his voice devoid of all emotion. "You are stripped of my protection. You are stripped of my name."
"You bastard," Brielle spat, tears of humiliated fury ruining her flawless makeup. "My father will kill you for this."
"Your father," Damon said, his eyes narrowing into cold, lethal slits, "is going to be very busy tonight. Trying to survive."
Damon turned his head slightly, locking eyes with the two adult bodyguards standing by the entrance.
"Marcus," Damon commanded, his deep voice carrying clearly across the garden.
"Yes, Boss," the lead bodyguard responded instantly, stepping forward.
"Take her," Damon ordered, pointing a tattooed finger at the weeping woman on the loveseat. "Escort her to the front gates. She leaves with exactly what she is wearing. If she attempts to re-enter the estate, or if she speaks to my children again, break her legs."
"Understood, Boss," Marcus nodded, moving purposefully toward the loveseat.
"Damon, you can't do this!" Brielle screamed as the two massive guards grabbed her by the arms, hauling her roughly off the wicker furniture. Her expensive party heels dragged uselessly against the patio stones. "I know your secrets! I know where the offshore accounts are hidden! I will go to the feds!"
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"You will not reach the feds," Damon whispered, watching her with dead eyes. "Because if you utter a single word about my business to anyone, I will have your tongue cut out before sunrise."
The absolute, terrifying certainty in his voice silenced her instantly. The guards dragged the thrashing, sobbing woman away from the pavilion, pulling her down the garden path until she was completely out of sight.
